Jack-up apparatus



Sept. 8, 1970 M. D. KORKUT JACK-UP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed. July 24, 1967 INVENTOR.

B WM

ATTORNEY Sept. 8, 1970 M. D. KORKUT 3,527,442

JACK-UP APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VENT 0R.

WAV

United States Patent 3,527,442 J ACK-UP APPARATUS Mehmet D. Korkut, 2801 N. Turnbull Drive, Metairie, La. 70002 Filed July 24, 1967, Ser. No. 655,470 Int. Cl. B66f N00 US. Cl. 254106 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In jack-up barge apparatus, means preferably comprising a support frame attached to a vessel near a spud well, a plurality of torsion bars in near proximity to the well, connector means on the torsion bars for engagement with the spud, means for joining the connector means to the spud to thereby transfer the loading of the spud to the torsion bars and thence to the vessel whereby the offset between the axis of the spud and the vessel, impacts on the spud, and bending of the spud do not interfere with routine use of the spud.

lack-up apparatus is used in elevating navigable barges at off-shore locations, typically in petroleum activities. Quite often a vessel is navigated to a selected location and a plurality of jack-up legs or spuds are lowered toward the land submerged beneath the body of water. The legs are load-bearing spuds adapted to support the vessel above the surface of the water and the wave action. The process of lowering the spud legs toward the submerged land usually exposes the spud to bending and is considered the most dangerous step in the operation of elevating the vessel. The moment before the spud impacts against the submerged land is a dangerous interval because a sudden roll of the vessel of perhaps five degrees will impart a wide range of movement to the lower tip of the levered spud and smash the spud against the bottom. On impact, a tremendous amount of torque action on the jack-up apparatus securing the spud to the vessel will usually tear loose the jacking apparatus from the vessel, damage the spud and usually delay the installation of the vessel. It is with a view of these problems, particularly accented by the slenderness of the spuds currently used, that the device of the present invention is summarized as providing a means whereby the bending of the spud legs is counteracted by means communicating the spud to the vessel and a means disposing of the vagaries of the loading on the spud. In further particular, the means is particularly adapted to absorb impact on a heavy blow on the spud, to dispose of bending of the spud from the preferred alignment, and to further transfer the loading of the vessel to the spud when elevated above the water level whereby a yieldable means is provided between the spud and the vessel to absorb variations in loading. With the above summary in view, it is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved jack-up means whereby spud bending is disposed of by yieldable means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved torsion bar mounting apparatus wherein a pair of oppositely disposed torsion bars are adapted for independently responding to the loading provided by the spud.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mounting apparatus for jack-up rigs wherein the problems of bending in the spud, offset of the spud with respect to the vessel, and uneven loading are disposed of by said apparatus without effect on the lifting apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved barge jacking apparatus including a positive action means for engaging the spud wherein prob- Cir lems of misalignment and the like are compensated by the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating the relationship of the load absorbing means to the spud;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a fixed support member positioned adjacent the spud whereby the means of the present invention is secured;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 illustrating details of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 illustrating additonal details of the means for engaging the spud; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the connector means carried on the torsion bars of the present invention.

In the drawings, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 which illustrates in detail a load bearing spud having a pair of attached flanges 12 with suitable openings therein indicated at 13. The perspective view of FIG. 1 indicates the stable support means of the present invention indicated generally by 15 which includes a pair of generally parallel I-beams 16 located immediately adjacent to opposite sides of the spud 10 and adapted to be installed near the spud -well in the vessel to be lifted by the jacking apparatus shown in FIG. 1. A load absorbing means is indicated generally at 18 and includes an elongate torsion bar 20 positioned in near proximity to each of the flanges 12. The torsion bar 20 is lifted by a plurality of double-acting hydraulic jacks 21 whereby the torsion bar 20 positions a connector means 22 in proximity of the openings 13 in the flange 12. An insertable means 24 is passed through aligned openings in the connector means 22 and the flange 12 to thereby secure the connector means, torsion bar, and the hydraulic jacks to the spud. The hydraulic jacks 21 are then operated to raise or lower the spud 10 as required to position the spud at a desired relative location with respect to the vessel (not shown). The means of the present invention interacts between the vessel and the spud to compensate for bending in the spud, violent impacts of the spud against the submerged land when erecting the vessel, and changes in the position of the spud to the vessel occurring when the vessel is erected above the water.

Considering the invention more in detail, the view of FIG. 2 illustrates in greater detail the stable support means 15 carried above the vessel on the jacks, the support means including a rectangular framework comprising a pair of parallel and oppositely disposed I-beam members 16. The torsion bars 20 are enclosed in an essentially cylindrical housing 25 joined to the I-beam members 16. The cylindrical housing extends along the length of the torsion bar 20 and cooperates with a pair of mounting hubs 26 extending about the torsion bar 20. In FIG. 2, it will be noted that the pair of connective hubs is positioned symmetrically on the torsion bar 20 for permitting connection with the hydraulic jack means 21 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The cylindrical housing 25 and the hubs 26 are joined to an upstanding structural member 27 which is integrally formed with a horizontally extending plate member 28 shown at the left-hand portion of FIG. 2. It will be appreciated that the structural members 27 and 28 form a transversely extending support located in line with the torsion bar 20 and immediately thereabove for securing the framing members 16 in the rigid structure.

The rectangular frame or the cross-head assembly shown in FIG. 2 is essentially a rigid structure wherein the torsion bars are free to rotate in response to the 3 loads acting thereon. The frame is made rigid by welding the torsion bars 20 to the I-beams 16. Moreover, the connective hubs 26 as will be noted, communicate the upward thrust of the hydraulic jacks 21 (see FIG. 1) to the rectangular frame or cross-head assembly shown in FIG. 2. The torsion bar rotates within the encasing structure as will be described.

Considering FIG. 2 further, the connector means 22 includes a pair of parallel plate-like members adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the flange 12 as illustrated. More particularly, the plate-like members are rigidly joined to the torsion bar 20 by appropriate means such as welding, or the like. In further particular, the plate-like members which project from the torsion bar toward the flange 12 are rotatable with the torsion bar 20 on its flexure.

Attention is next directed to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings which are sectional views through portions of the structure shown in FIG. 2 for illustrating additional details. In FIG. 3, the side vie-w of the jack-up rig illustrates the hydraulic cylinders 21 substantially positioned in the spud well of the vessel. The spud well is a portion of the vessel. The lower ends of the jacks 21 are pivotally connected at 36 to a plate 37 rigidly joined by welding or appropriate means to structural members 38 and 39. The plate 37 transfers the load on the jacks to the structural framing. It will be noted that FIG. 3 shows two hydraulic jacks 21 while an additional pair is obscured behind the illustrated jacks to total four hydraulic jacks in the preferred embodiment. In further particular, the hydraulic jacks extend upwardly to the connective hubs 26 and are joined thereto by means of a downwardly extending connective crank 40 communicated with a clevis 41 carried on the piston rod of the hydraulic jack means 21. Of particular interest to the present invention is the fact that the plurality of pivot means 36 at the end of each jack means 21 pivot on parallel axes which are perpendicular to the pivot axes between the clevis 41 and the crank 40. This provides a range of deflection to the cross-head assembly carried at the upper end of the plurality of jack means whereby the bending forces of the spud are accommodated.

The numeral 44 indicates one wall of the spud well shown in FIG. 3 and an additional wall is indicated at 45. In FIG .4, the numerals 46 and 47 indicate additional walls of the well while the numerals 48 and 49 indicate other vertically extending members of the vessel proper.

Of particular interest in FIG. 3 is the bell crank arrangement of the means 40 which connects with the torsion bar and then to the connector means 22 extending at an angle. It will be appreciated that the crank 40 and the connector means 22 are both rigidly held with respect to one another and as shown in the preferred embodiment, approximate a ninety degree angle. The deflection of the connector means 22 rotates the crank 40 about the axis of the torsion bar 20 whereby the upper end of the hydraulic jack is deflected by an amount determined primarily by the deflection of the crank. It will be appreciated that the substantially vertical load acting on the hydraulic jack means 21 is communicated through the offset of the bell crank means to accommodate the problem of eccentricity of the jack means 21 and the spud 10. More will be noted concerning this in describing operation of the present invention.

Attention is next directed to FIG. 4 of the drawings which illustrates in substantial detail means for engaging the crosshead assembly with the spud in cooperation with the hydraulic jack means 21 whereby the spud 10 is moved relative to the vessel. In this regard, means 21 described in the present invention are double-acting jacks whereby the spud 10 is either raised or lowered with respect to the vessel. In FIG. 4, the elongate cylindrical housing which surrounds the torsion bar 20 is shown extending through and joined to the center portion Of 4 the I-beam 16. The housing 25 extends toward the center line of the cross-head assembly to properly position the hub 26 which is connected to the crank 40 for transferring operative loads of the jack means 21 to the crosshead assembly.

The numeral 24 indicates the engaging means for joining the connector means 22 to the flange 12 shown A in the view. Of particular interest in FIG. 4 is the fact that the left-hand beam 16 supports an appropriate mounting bracket 50 which serves as a means for positioning a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 51. The hydraulic means 51 is adapted to move the pin 24 which is secured to the end of a piston rod 52. The hydraulic means 51 is anchored by means of a pivot or clevis 52 to permit it to move ever so slightly to accommodate variations in misalignment of the openings through which the pin 24 is inserted. Moreover, the mounting bracket 50 is located in line with the openings 13 in the flange 12 and, of course, duplicate apparatus is preferably provided since the spud includes a pair of oppositely disposed flanges 12 and therefore cooperates with a pair of insertable pins 24, one for each flange.

The numeral 56 indicates a mounting plate which is perhaps co-planar with the deck of the vessel and which extends to the spud well as shown in the drawings. The plate 56 provides an appropriate mounting surface whereby an additional double-acting hydraulic means 57 is secured by an appropriate movable mounting means 58 for inserting an additional pin 124 into the flange 12 for securing same relative to the vessel. The numeral 122 indicates an identical connector means spanning both sides of the flange 12. Appropriate holes are provided in the connector means 122 whereby the pin 124 is inserted through the openings in the connector means 122 and the flange 12. While illustration is somewhat difficult due to the particular location of the connector means 122, the connector means 122 is made fast with respect to the structure of the vessel, preferably by welded connections with the deck plate 56. More particularly, the location of connector means 122 on oppositely disposed sides of the spud 10 permits the optional use of a surrounding collar for joining the means 122 together to serve as a guide means for receiving the spud therethrough and to further serve as means for positioning the spud relative to the deck of the vessel and therefore the vessel itself.

It should be noted that the necessary hydraulic lines required by the jacks 21, the means 51 and 57 are omitted from the drawings for sake of clarity. The hydraulic apparatus is installed with the present structure in the conventional manner. Also, sequencing control apparatus has been omitted from the drawings whereby sequential operation of the apparatus to elongate the jacks 21, set the pins 24 in the flange, contract the jacks 21, thereafter set the pins 124, release the pins 24, and so on, provide step-wise operation in elevating the vessel on the spud 10. More will be noted concerning the operation of the present invention hereinafter.

Attention is next directed to FIG. 5 of the drawings which illustrates the torsion bar 20 in sectional view and the various members which are supported on the bar. The crank 40 is shown projecting downwardly and the connector means 22 extends laterally to the left. As previously described, preferably a pair of identical spaced plate-like members comprise the connector means 22 with each of the plates adapted to be aligned with the openings 13 in the flange 12. Moreover, the structure illustrated in FIG. 5 illustrates a pair of rollers 64 which are adapted to be contacted against the facing or edge of the flange 12. Each of the rollers 64 is mounted on the axle joined to a triangular reinforcing gusset 65 at each end of the axle. The gussets 65 are welded or otherwise joined to the connector means 22 and further connect with vertically extending guide means 66. The guide means 66 is comprised of a pair of relatively long and narrow structural members adapted to be positioned on each side of the flange -12. The guide means 66 are preferably co-planar with the inner faces of the connectors 22 and provide an extension thereof for purposes of alignment whereby the assemblage illustrated in FIG. provides a generally &-shaped arrangement ultimately positioned on three sides of the flange 12 wherein the rollers 64 contact the flange 12 at its narrow edge and are guided in continued contact against the flange by the connectors and the guide means 66.

In operation, the device of the present invention is adapted to accommodate variations in loading and the eccentricity of the structure even with an axially perfected load. Consider, by way of example, operation of the present invention wherein an axial load acts upwardly of the spud as shown in FIG. 1. Assume further that the connector means 22 are pinned to the flanges 12 by the pins 24 so that the means for securing the jack-up rig to the spud transfer the loading from the spud 10 to the means of the present invention. In this example, an upwardly directed axial load of the spud 10 tends to lift the spud 10 relatively to the torsion apparatus of the present invention wherein the extended ends of the connector means 22 which are pinned to the spud 10 are raised and tend to pivot about the torsion bars 20. As viewed in FIG. 3, this causes some bending in the structure of the present invention which is accommodated by the deflection of the torsion bars 20. The left-hand torsion bar rotates counter-clockwise and the remaining torsion bar rotates clockwise at the plane of the sectional view of FIG. 3 on upward thrust of the spud. The extent of rotation is determined in large part by the loading on the torsion bars which have a predetermined range of yield or load bearing capbilities. The remaining portions of the apparatus are essentially unaffected by the rotation of the torsion bars, it being noted that some slight misalignment occurs in the openings in the connector means 22 and the openings 13 in the flanges of the spud. This is of no consequence since the pins inserted into the openings are wedge-shaped as shown in the drawings to accommodate variations in the pin openings. Moreover, the apparatus presently provided accommodates other mislocation of the components in response to the torsion; for instance, the pivotal connection of the clevis 41 to the crank 40 permits either vertical positioning of the jack means 21 or movement to an angle to accommodate the torsion. In further particular, the pivotal connections 36 at the lower ends of the jacks accommodate movement in an additional dimension.

Should the spud 10 receive downwardly directed axial loading, the distortions of the structure are accommodated by the torsion bars in the manner described immediately above, except that the twist in each of the torsion bars is oppositely directed. This accommodates the downward thrust of the spud 10 whereby the torsion bars accommodate the yield or give required of the apparatus while yet permitting it to function in the desired manner. Again, it is of no particular consequence that the the jack means 21 may or may not be moved from the desired vertical osition shown in the drawings. The pivot points included in the apparatus accommodate such movement.

In the examples noted hereinabove, it will be appreci ated that proper loading of the spud and jack-up means permits continued loading of the spud, relative movement upwardly or downwardly as desired, or locking in position for an indefinite interval. Moreover, the device of the present invention accommodates the eccentricity of the load on the spud and the resistive forces communicated through the hydraulic jacks 21 to the vessel itself.

Considering the operation of the present invention further, assume a situation wherein a bending torque acts on the spud which deflects angularly through the spud well. For illustration, assume that the lower end of the spud shown in FIG. 3 is deflected to the right. Bending commonly occurs on initial efforts to erect the jack-up rig wherein the vessel is rolled by the surf and the spud strikes or bumps the submerged soil. In any event, the torsion bars are both twisted in a clockwise direction at the plane of the view of FIG. 3 to resist or counteract the bending of the leg 10. Since it is desirable to permit the leg to bend to prevent spud failure because of its slenderness, the problem of misalignment of the spud is best answered by accommodating the vagaries of the load as opposed to holding the spud rigidly at a precisely determined perpendicular angle. Therefore, the device of the present invention provides the load absorbing means whereby the spud is permitted to bend or yield in response to lateral loading without interferring with the function of the jackup rig apparatus. More particularly, the deflection of the spud to the side does not interfere with insertion of the pins 24 and 124 into the flanges to secure the vessel to the spud, and also does not interfere with operation of the jack means 21 to elevate the vessel relative to the spud.

The benefit of the load absorbing means taught by the present invention should be considered during elevation of the vessel on the spud. Assume for purposes of illustration that several spuds are firmly positioned in the mud and the vessel 10 is raised above the body of water on which it navigates. In this circumstance, the jack means 21 are alternately extended and contracted. When the jack means 21 is extended, the pins 24 are inserted through the flange 12 to secure the cross-head assembly to the spud. Then the jack means 21 are contracted to raise the vessel which is carried by the jack means upwardly as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. At this juncture, the pins 124 are inserted into the flange to rigidly fix the vessel with respect to the spud. Thereafter, the pins 24 are withdrawn to free the cross-head assembly whereupon the jack means 21 are re-extended to their full length t raise the cross-head above the vessel again. Again, the pins 24 are set in the flanges at the higher point on the spud. The pins 124 are withdrawn to shift the Weight of the vessel to the cross-head assembly. Again, the jack means 21 are contracted to raise the vessel relatively to the spud. This process is repeated for an indefinite number of steps to raise the vessel on the spud for an indefinite number of steps. It will be appreciated that, at all times during this operation, the weight of the vessel is transferred through the jack-up apparatus to the spud itself. The repetitive nature of the jack-up operation is a cyclic load on the various structures described with the loading and eccentricity accommodated by the torsion absorbing means of the present invention which yields in response to variations in the vertical loading and eccentricity of the load. The fiexure in the torsion bars accommodates problems of misalignment, bending in the spud, canting of the vessel itself, and impact loading also without interferring with the function of the jack-up rig apparatus proper.

Implicit in the foregoing discussion is the fact that each torsion bar is preferably anchored at its outer ends and is loaded at the mid-point by the connector means 22. The mid-point is rotated to produce equal and opposite torques in the halves of each bar. Moreover, each bar is paired with a bar on the approximate opposite side of the spud.

In most jack-up rigs, in excess of three spuds is used to lift the vessel from the water. Of course, the present invention is installed with each spud so that the entire vessel is carried by the present load absorbing means. This prevents destructive bending of the vessel itself as might occur in structures of the prior art.

While little has been noted concerning the scale of the present invention, it is shown for use with a workover rig having spuds perhaps thirty inches in diameter. Larger spuds, of open framework fabrication, are presently used and can be adapted for the invention, by use of a larger crosshead assembly. Moreover, the torsion bar arrangement is subject to an increase in size, length and even the use of stiifer material. The large bar is adapted for a larger range of give or yield.

While other details may be noted concerning the present invention, and numerous modifications suggest themselves, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for use with a load bearing spud and a vessel to be supported by the spud comprising:

(a) stable support means joined to a vessel in near proximity to a load bearing means;

(b) load absorbing means connected to said stable support means, said load absorbing means responding to a load acting on itself; and

(c) means for engaging said load absorbing means with the spud for transferring a load between the vessel and the spud and including an elongated torsion member having end portions fixed to said stable support means and a torsionally-yieldable intermediate portion, connector means on said intermediate portion of said torsion member, and means adapted for releasably coupling said connector means to selected portions of a vessel-supporting spud for transferring axial loading theron to said torsion member to induce torsional yielding therein.

2. Apparatus for use with a load bearing spud and a vessel to be supported by the spud comprising:

(a) stable support means joined to a vessel in near proximity to a load bearing means;

(b) load absorbing means connected to said stable support means, said load absorbing means responding to a load acting on itself; and,

(0) means for engaging said load absorbing means with the spud for transferring a load between the vessel and the spud and including a plurality of torsion members respectively having end portions fixed to said stable support means and distributed uniformly in relation to a vessel-supporting spud, connector means respectively arranged on the intermediate portions of each of said torsion members, and means respectively adapted for releasably coupling each of said connector means to selected portions of such a vessel-supporting spud for transferring axial loads thereon to said torsion members to induce torsional yielding therein.

3. The invention of claim 1 for use with a water borne vessel having a spud subject to bending from a generally perpendicular and normal relationship to the vessel, and wherein said load absorbing means is arranged and constructed to resist bending of the spud by oppositely directed forces acting within said load absorbing means and coupled to the spud by said engaging means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,039,613 6/1962 Hubbard 257-1 X 2,932,486 4/1960 Suderow 254107 X 3,171,259 3/1965 Roussel 61-46 3,195,313 7/1965 Swatek 61-46 3,396,945 8/1968 Schreier 254106 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner D. R. MELTON, Assistant Examiner 

